We’ve visited the Flying Fish three weekends in a row! Is that enough of a ringing endorsement?!
White tuna (escolar) is my new foodie crush….they have a tuna trio (tuna lover)that is outstanding!
Mahi Mahi bites in a martini glass…oh so good….happy hour lasts til 8:00 pm on weekends downstairs…ask Charles to make your $5.00 drink! No way you can be disappointed here!
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Flying fish-capades
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Great Food in Old Town Alexandria
Let me preface this review of Taverna Cretekou on King Street in Old Town, Alexandria by saying that I am of Greek descent, so it is pretty near impossible for a Greek restaurant not on the Mediterranean to please me. The ones that have like Molyvos in NYC, and Kellari in DC, and the now closed, George’s in Bethesda, are either totally authentic or upscale with a certain chef’s license on their authenticity. I want to like Taverna Cretekou because the owners are nice people and it is a taste of my childhood and very nearby. I do like the decor, and the fact that they bring in live entertainment on certain nights. On a recent visit, the lamb shank special was the largest I’ve ever seen in a restaurant; tender, falling off the bone and swathed in a very delicious avgolemono sauce. Yasou! Likewise, the combination platter ( moussaka, pastitsio, dolmathes, and spanikopita)was very well prepared and sported some of the same egg-lemon sauce. Yasou! The appetizer Imam Biyaldi was correctly prepared and delicious. Yasou! Taverna Cretekou could impress more if they would not dumb down the rest of their dishes for western tastes, especially the classics like tadziki, taramosalata, the pites, the calamari and others. At least they haven’t fallen into the tomato sauce trap, though. Sigh…..where’s my yiayia when I need her!
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Great food in Old Town Alexandria
Vermillion is red, but not red hot. This quaint little Old Town spot has a lot going for it. Its popularity cannot be questioned, even POTUS dines here on special occasions. Chef Chittum does an exceptional job with several of the more complex dishes like the rockfish, the lobster tortellini, the jerusalem artichoke soup. He clearly understands flavors. Where he fell short on my recent visit was with the simplest seasoning…..salt. Oysters fried to perfection but lacking the very brine they grow in. Potatoes confit prepared so similarly to the Jaques Pepin Fondantes (minus the rosemary) I am so fond of, also lacking seasoning. And the triggerfish special, aka fluke, overly salted on my slightly burnt panko crust. What’s up with that?
Vermillion is noisy..no way around that with the bar in such close proximity to the dining room; I don’t mind that. I found the booths to be somewhat uncomfortable and very isolating; I do mind that. If a restaurant is noisy I love to be in on it. If you are trying to sell me on Valentine’s Day intimacy, keep the decibels down….
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Good food in Old Town Alexandria
Well, I couch this under great food because it could be great…with some work…what do you get when you cross a chef who knows how to cook meat with a great beer list and a restaurant with a games area….a gastropub… That is what Light Horse restaurant could be…but isn’t. Because the owners haven’t recognized their chef’s gift…..understanding proteins, flavor profiles, and guilty pleasures. The good: fried Brussels sprouts, bistro filet, pulled pork, hot chocolate and cookies…the bad: braised (not) fennel and camembert sauce appetizer, steak tartare with the purple potato fries…the ugly: the sauce on the filet, the cabbage and mole ( too much), the missing bread basket, decor. Little work…lotsa potential!
Update on the Light Horse in Old Town……
We recently returned again (it has been several actually) to this Old Town favorite of ours. The menu has been revamped showcasing only the chefs strong suits! We loved the smoked and sauced chicken wings, brussels sprouts, hamburgers and hand cut fries. Our deviled egg app was a topic of conversation for hours as we tried to ply the recipe from our waitress! Hard boiled eggs are peeled and soaked in soy until they color slightly. The yolk is mixed with a miso paste and they are topped with a thin slice of pepper and siracha. Delicious!
Our waitress was knowledgable about the food and alcohol..she helped me find a new beer I loved!
There will be many happy and hungry returns! -
Great food in Old Town Alexandria
We visited Fontaine Cafe and Creperie twice this week, once for lunch and once for dinner. Although the menu did not change, the ambience did. In the evening there’s much more a French feel to the local eatery. The lights are dimmer, but the food is not. We were not disappointed in either visit by the Sultan, the Alexandrian, the Tuscan, the bruschettas or the onion tartlet. The wine prices are reasonable and OMG .the dessert crepes! All I can say is they’re the “sweetest thing”!
I feel slightly cheated that we did not venture in sooner for fear that there would be nothing that my celiac diseased hubby could eat…o nay,nay… All crepes may be ordered made with gluten free buckwheat flour!
Visit soon…or not…I’d like to keep this little secret to myself it is sooooo close to home….
Betzabroad...My personal recipe for tasting our big, fat, wonderful world 